The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Unusual conditions…
It’s not just potential flooding that is a concern given the huge snowpack in the area, but avalanches are a worry as well.
As a result, warnings are being issued concerning backcountry snow danger. According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center and the Colorado Geological Survey, “unusually deep snowpack in parts of Colorado’s northern and central mountains has the potential to produce dangerous avalanches in pathways that may not have run in decades, and that may run farther than they have in recent memory.”
The local avalanche center has come to a similar conclusion.
“The Crested Butte Avalanche Center would like to warn all backcountry travelers that unusual avalanche conditions exist. The conditions are not typical spring-like conditions. Extra caution and evaluation should be used when traveling in the backcountry this spring,” said the CBAC executive director Alan Bernholtz.
“We are actually higher [in snowpack] to-date than we were in 2008,” said Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District manager Frank Kugel. “The bad news is, the snowpack is accumulating and it should be dropping at this time of year.”
This may increase the likelihood for major avalanches during the melting season now under way. The basin’s snowpack is listed at more than 143 percent of average, according to SNOTEL data. By the end of April, Gothic had a record month (more than 90 inches of fresh in April) and more than 500 inches of snow overall for the winter. Irwin was reporting well over 700 inches.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center issued a warning this week stating that unusually large avalanche events are possible in the Colorado backcountry, given the conditions. “While rapid transition to above freezing temperatures, or a sustained period of warm temperatures, could produce very large and damaging avalanches, large spring avalanches are not guaranteed. But the right weather conditions during May and early June could produce avalanches larger than we have seen in 30 to 100 years.”
An example of this hazard occurred April 30, when an unusually large and destructive avalanche struck the Peru Creek drainage near the town of Montezuma in Summit County. This avalanche destroyed large, 100-plus-year-old trees as well as a high-voltage tower that was installed in the late 1970s. This was an isolated event, but an indication of what is possible this spring. In addition, the Colorado Geological Survey warns that the heavy snowpack combined with a rapid warm-up could also lead to substantial mudslides and debris flows.
The weather forecast was calling for another snowstorm this week. According to the CAIC website, “A potent spring storm could add a layer of windslabs to the top of the snow pack. Underneath, wet, saturated weak layers will not handle the load well. You will need to evaluate each steep slope thoroughly, and manage your terrain very carefully…. Cornices are HUGE. Falling cornices will make excellent avalanche triggers, and you will need to treat them with a great deal of respect for the remainder of the season.”
The CAIC website continues, “Thinking longer term, the Colorado Mountains have an above-average snowpack. The goal is to ride on silky or creamy snow during the initial softening and melting. Then you need to get off and out from under steep slopes before too much water accumulates and weakens the snow surface. Boot penetration is a good gage. Stand on the snow (no snowshoes, boards, or skis). If you sink into wet snow past your ankles, or pop through the surface crust into wet or weak snow underneath, the surface is too weak. Move to low-angle terrain, a shadier aspect, or call it a day. Think about your exit route, and be aware of low elevation terrain traps.”
Bernholtz summed it up, saying, “The Elk Mountains are experiencing an extended winter season this year. Either strap the boards on again or deal with the gas prices and get the hell out of town.”
But be careful out there.
